This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Black History Month: Explore Toronto's Underground Railroad history

Toronto is a mecca for many things, but when it comes to being able to visit historical sites linked to the Underground Railroad options aren&rsquo;t as plentiful as one might suppose.

The John Freeman Walls Historic Site and Underground Railroad Museum near Windsor. Walls&rsquo; biological family members take you on a tour of the original log cabin, the Walls&rsquo; family cemetery and show you the trail fleeing slaves followed. (FILE PHOTO)

By Liz BrucknerSpecial to the Star

Mon., Jan. 23, 2012

Toronto is a mecca for many things, but when it comes to being able to visit historical sites linked to the Underground Railroad — perhaps the most dramatic protest action against slavery in history that brought an estimated 40,000 African Americans to freedom in Canada — options aren’t as plentiful as one might suppose.

According to Rosemary Sadlier, president of the Ontario Black History Society, it’s with good reason. “During the time that the Underground Railroad was in operation, when people finally made it out of the U.S. and onto Canadian soil, they were safe. Many chose not to leave the areas they settled in once they reached the border,” she says.

And even when they did, because of the lengthy amount of time that has passed — it was between 1830 and 1865 that the abolitionist activity reached its peak — and the city’s continual urban renewal, many structures that could have been deemed historical are no longer standing.

Still, there are a few.

Such as Inglenook Community High School in Cabbagetown (19 Sackville St.). The oldest continually-operated school building in the Toronto District School Board, it was in 1985 that archaeologists discovered clues that revealed the area served as a terminal for the Underground Railroad when it was inhabited by Lucie and Thornton Blackburn between 1834 and 1890. Escaped slaves who eventually settled in Toronto after fleeing their native Kentucky, the Blackburns were responsible for creating Toronto’s first taxi company in 1837, became well-known members of Toronto’s African-Canadian community and played an important role both in efforts that helped freedom-seekers and promoted anti-slavery. The foundation of their house at the corner of Eastern Avenue and Sackville Street has recently been preserved and was given a designation of national historic importance in 1999.

Article Continued Below

The plaque at the northwest corner of Beverley and Baldwin Streets honouring George Brown is another. Placed across the road from his still-standing home, the renowned journalist, politician and Father of the Confederation used his paper, The Toronto Globe — now The Globe & Mail — to attack slavery, and eventually instituted the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada. Established to abolish slavery, members helped former slaves reach Canada via the Underground Railroad. The plaque heralds his efforts, and was erected in 1999.

At St. Lawrence Hall (157 King St. W.), there’s a Parks Canada plaque explaining that the venue, which served as a platform for major abolitionist speakers, was an important one for many activities in support of freedom and rights for African-Canadians. It details the 1851 meeting of the “North American Convention of Colored Freemen,” where anti-slavery leaders from Canada and the U.S. met to discuss how to advance the fight against slavery and segregated schooling, and proclaims Canada the best destination for refugee American slaves.

Looking for more? Though Toronto City Hall and the Toronto Historic Museum Mackenzie House both put on presentations in honour of Black History Month that are worth checking out, topics may not focus specifically on the Underground Railroad. As such, consider leaving the city to visit one or more of these southwestern Ontario sites:

— The John Freeman Walls Historic Site and Underground Railroad Museum near Windsor, where Walls’ biological family members take you on a tour of the original log cabin, the Walls’ family cemetery and show you the trail fleeing slaves followed.

— “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” ( www.uncletomscabin.org) in Dresden, which was built in 1841 by Josiah Henson after he endured 41 years of slavery. In his aim to provide refuge and a new beginning for former slaves, he also created one of Canada’s first industrial schools, and because of his leadership in abolition, became the first person of African descent to appear on a Canadian stamp.

— The North American Black Historical Museum ( www.blackhistoricalmuseum.com) in Amherstburg, features the Nazrey Church, which was built in 1848 and served as a safe house, school and a social centre for refugees. It was also the first still-standing black site to receive recognition as a National Historic Site.

The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com